PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY ~ ISSUE NO. 756 ~ DECEMBER 4, 2015 ~ 3.00 #
Film Vanishes Under Cinema Boycott
Bridging Mainland, HK Education
Cinema chains are fighting back against LeTV’s disruptive release model. Page 4
China’s Hong Kong students speak about their studies on the mainland. Page 5
Building a China Career with Faith
Businessman John Watkins, Jr felt called to build a career in China. Page 6
100-Yuan Note Rejected
The release of China’s first new bank note in a decade has been a headache for shoppers and sellers across the country. The new 100 yuan notes are being rejected by wary supermarket cashiers and at bank ATMs across the city. Page 2
City Offers Relief Fund for Poor Patients BY YANG XIN
F
amilies with members who are suffering from certain serious diseases will be able to apply for relief funds of up to 80,000 yuan per year starting from January, the Beijing Municipal Civil Affair Bureau announced. The Bureau’s notice states that residents with a Beijing hukou and who are suffering from malignant tumors, serious mental disorders or leukemia may apply for the fund. The local civil affair department is required to cover 30 percent of an eligible beneficiary’s medical expenses
below 30,000 yuan, 40 percent between 30,000 and 50,000 yuan and 50 percent in excess of 50,000 yuan. The compensation ceiling is fixed at 80,000 yuan. Patients may only apply for the fund once each year. Patients who are not covered by national health insurance but are eligible for the fund will be given medical assistance by the local civil affairs department pending discussion with the local financial department. Eligibility will be determined according to a patient’s income, property and family size.
Beijing Youth Daily Group President: Zhang Yanping Editor-in-Chief: Yu Haibo ~ Director: Li Xiaobing Address: Building A, 23 Baijiazhuang Dong Li, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100026
Eligible applicants must be from families whose average monthly income per person does not exceed minimum wage. The family’s property holdings are also not allowed to exceed the low-income standards set for urban and rural families. The Bureau said relief funds will be drawn from each district’s medical assistance budget. The Beijing Municipal Civil Affair Bureau and Financial Bureau will support the fund by setting up a central medical assistance fund and welfare lottery charity fund. Charitable organizations and individuals are also encouraged to donate to the funds. ~
Editor-in-Chief: Jack Wang ~ Content Director: Su Derui ~ Designer: Zhao Yan ~ Phone: (010) 6590 2515 ~ FAX: (010) 6590 2525 ISSN: 2095-9591 ~ 刊号: CN11-0120 ~ 邮发代号1-364 ~ Overseas Code No: D1545 ~ Subscriptions: (010) 6590 2511 Advertisements: (010) 6590 2515 ~ E-mail: info@beijingtoday.com.cn ~ Online Distribution Agents: Spider.com.cn and Kankan.cn Published under the auspices of the Office of the Beijing Municipal Government. Run by Beijing Youth Daily Group.
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NEWS
DECEMBER 4, 2015
BEIJING TODAY
Doorway Scrawls May Mark Burglary Targets in Shijingshan BY DIAO DIAO
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Regulators Eye China’s Ambulance Services BY YANG XIN
ecent photos of an ill airplane passenger who was forced to crawl into the ambulance on his own while members and emergency staff argued over who should move him has renewed debate over the quality of China’s pre-hospital care. Lawmakers are now considering a regulation that would detail operational rules and fares for ambulances, Beijing Times reported. On November 26, the municipal government’s lawmaking department released its third revision of the pro-
posed Guideline on pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Aid Services. The latest addition states, Pre-hospital emergency bodies are encouraged to carry out charged stretcher-carrying services or outsource them to a third party. Regarding the charging of pre-hospital services, the guidelines say service fees should be covered by health insurance and that ambulances should be equipped with meters. Pre-hospital service items are not included in government-funded emergency service packages.
Photo by Image China No existing laws or regulations cover stretcher-carrying services. Many patients and their relatives have noted a plunge in the quality of pre-hospital care in recent years. The guidelines also urge the Commission of Development and Reform to offer a clear list of billable medical service items and their prices – including ambulance fares – that take residents’ average incomes into consideration. Stretcher-carrying services are not included in the basic medical service items offered by the government and are priced by service providers according to market demand. Nevertheless, the government is obliged to function as the supervisor and regulator, said Li Xiaojuan, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress. “Pre-hospital emergency service safeguards human life. We can’t afford the risk of putting profit-driven players in this field,” Liu said, adding that the sector would step up its regulation. Penalty provisions are also mentioned in the revision. Pre-hospital emergency service providers who violate the charging rules or intentionally delay treatment will be fined 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. Those who cause serious problems may face a fine of up to 100,000 yuan. ~
esidents in West Modern City, a community in Shijingshan district, reported the appearance of red flower markings by their doors in late November. One of the residents sent a photo of the marking to the WeChat group for community residents and asked whether anyone else had seen similar markings by their doors. A group member surnamed Zhang said many members responded that they had. A woman surnamed Liu said she thought a child drew it since the mark was near the floor. However, all the marks were found in similar locations. The community office posted notices at each building’s entrance and advised residents to remove the marks as soon as possible. Police told reporters that the end of each calendar year sees an increase in burglary. Police advised locking one’s doors and windows and checking outside the home for unusual markings. Gangs of thieves often leave markings beside doors of homes they are targeting to communicate with other members and advise them of the occupant’s schedule, police said. Police in Sichuan and Hebei province previously decoded some of the symbols, such as using a plus and minus symbol to indicate an apartment occupied in the day and empty at night, and a square to indicate an apartment with only one occupant. But the codes used by thieves vary with each group. Police said they have some suspicion about what the marks may mean, but that they could be wrong. They advised residents to check for and remove any markings they found. ~
Cash Machines Reject China’s New 100-Yuan Notes T
he latest revision of the 100 yuan note, China’s largest currency denomination, was released at 200 banks in Beijing on November 12. But the new notes have caused trouble for many people who rushed to withdraw them. Most cash machines, money detectors and bank ATMs reject the new 100-yuan notes, Beijing Youth Daily reported last month. In a survey by Beijing Youth Daily reporters, the new notes were rejected by the subway system’s ticketing machines, many ATMs and most shops. Charge stations for Beijing’s transportation cards also rejected the new bills.
BY YANG XIN
CFP Photos Many residents have complained that supermarkets are rejecting the bills. Older money validators consistently sound alarms when presented with the new notes. “We will not accept any bank note
unless it is approved by the currency validator,” said a salesperson at the Jingkelong Supermarket by Tuanjiehu Park. Other supermarket chains use manual identification instead of a currency validator. When asked whether they can identify counterfeit notes, a staff replied, “The new note was just released. It’s almost impossible for counterfeiters to have already forged it.” Most ATMs located within a bank have been upgraded to process the new notes. An employee at Agricultural Bank of China said the chain has suspended some of its ATMs pending an upgrade. Vendors have been cautious about the
EDITOR: YANG XIN ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
new bill. At a wholesale market on Yaojiayuan Road, most vendors refused to accept the new notes when their currency validators rejected them. There are no currency validators available commercially that can detect the new notes, the design of which was kept secret until the day of their release. Changes to the bills include the use of a new printing ink, color and magnetic stripe. A spokesman for one company producing currency validators said it would be three months before they can produce a model compatible with the new notes, Beijing Youth Daily reported. ~
NEWS
BEIJING TODAY
DECEMBER 4, 2015
T
Photo by taobao.com
Online Markets Awash in Pregnancy Meds that Promise Baby Boys BY DIAO DIAO
he end of China’s One-Child Policy has made many couples crazy about trying to conceive – especially if their first child was a girl. Eager to capitalize on the trend, numerous online stores are selling miracle medicines that promise to make one’s second and final child a boy. Beijing Youth Daily reporters found numerous sellers on popular e-commerce platforms offering emulsions imported from Japan and priced between 300 and 2,000 yuan. The medicines claim to achieve sex selection by altering the pH level of the mother’s vagina. One product’s instructions claim that the pH level of the vagina will change within 60 seconds of using the emulsion. It promises a 75 success rate if used once, and a 96 percent success rate when used repeatedly and in conjunction with diet therapy. Sellers said the emulsions are made from natural plant extracts and are free of chemical additives. The extracts are based on the controversial Shettles Method of fertility, which asserts that sperm carrying a Y-chromosome are better able to survive in an alkaline environment. Ruan Xiangyan, director of the Endocrine Department at Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, told Beijing Youth Daily that the time of fertilization has more to do with the success of Y-chromosome sperm, and that attempts to alter the pH level of the vagina can cause infections. Oral medicines purporting to aid in sex selection are also available online. But Chen Luquan, a doctor at Tongren Hospital, said their ingredients are only a general women’s health aid and their use in sex selection is superstitious. Chinese tradition places great emphasis on having a male heir. When a woman marries, she is considered to have left her family. Boys are believed to have a continuing obligation to the family, as well as being able to carry on its name. ~
STRANGE HAPPENINGS ON THE CHINESE NEWS WIRE BY SU DERUI
Job Hunting Apartments Cram 96 Bodies in 90 meters
A citywide effort to stamp out cramped, illegal and dangerous constructions ended most of Beijing’s qunzufang, apartments partitioned into two-meter fire hazards. But that hasn’t stopped an enterprising company from starting a new housing experiment near East Third Ring Road. Branded as “apartments for job seekers,” these new units cram rooms full of bunk beds and sell lodging for 15 to 60 yuan per night or 400 to 700 yuan per month. Several have their own websites with booking information that makes them sound similar to a hostel. One 90-square-meter apartment had more than 26 beds per room separated by curtains. City law requires that an apartment must offer at least five meters of living space for each occupant and that no more than two people occupy any one room. (Tencent News)
Buick Drivers Most Likely to Drive Drunk in Zhejiang
Contrary to popular perception, it’s not the owners of luxury cars who are most likely to be irresponsible alcoholics. Buick drivers were arrested most often for driving drunk in Zhejiang province. Using data from more than 50,000 drunk driving arrests in the province, police found that 19 percent of all drunks drove Buicks, 12.6 percent drove Audis, 12 percent drove Toyotas, 12 percent drove BMWs, 9 percent drove Hyundais, 8.7 percent drove Mazdas and 7.6 percent drove Volkswagens. In 2014, there were 20,694 people arrested for driving drunk in Zhejiang province. The majority of drivers were in the cities of Ningbo or Hangzhou. (Tencent News)
A clothing shop owner in Shenzhen is being investigated by the city’s counter-terrorism police after choosing to name her store “ISIS.” Police in Longgang District received a report in late November that Chen Hong, 35, had put up a sign naming her store ISIS. A preliminary investigation found no links between Chen and the infamous Islamic State terror organization. Chen said the name was intended to be an abbreviation for “Yisi yisi,” meaning interesting or fun ideas and desires. The store’s sign has been removed. (Ifeng)
BY DIAO DIAO
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Midi Music School Students Arrested in Drug Raid
Screenshot of online video responsible in screening advertisements for a basic knowledge of science, he said. In his letter, Zhou advised all media workers to read the his book What is Chemistry, and that chemistry is fundamental to life and should not be negatively depicted. The Chinese Chemical Society sent a letter to CCTV on November 24, asking the station to issue an apology and pledge not to run the ad again.
THE WEEK IN WEIRD
ISIS Shop Owner Draws Police Attention in Shenzhen
University Professor Fight for Chemistry hen CCTV-8 began airing “We hate chemistry” ads for Franic, a cosmetics company, retired chemistry professor Zhou Gongdu was furious. On November 19, Zhou contacted the Chemistry Department at Peking University and asked them to relay his handwritten letter to CCTV-8. In the letter, Zhou called on the station to suspend the ads and decried their content as having a bad influence on the study of chemistry in schools. During the 15-second block, the phrase “We hate chemistry” is repeated both in text and voice forms to emphasize the cosmetic company’s use of natural ingredients. The ads stopped airing on November 21. Zhou said he was not opposed to the cosmetic marker’s marketing tactic. CCTV, as a public broadcaster and official media source, should be more
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Photo by news.hexun.com Beijing Youth Daily reporters called CCTV multiple times but were unable to get a reply. The cosmetic company posted an apology on its official Weibo. Franic confirmed that the advertisement was temporarily removed pending revision. ~
EDITOR: DIAO DIAO ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
Beijing police raided the Midi School of Music in Haidian District on November 25 and drug tested some 300 students. Dozens of students were arrested after failing the urine tests. Zhang Fan, head of the school, told Tencent News that more than a dozen students were taken away. He appealed to law enforcement to be more tolerant and forgiving of students who choose to experiment with drugs and said the school takes no action to punish students. (Tencent News)
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DECEMBER 4, 2015
BUSINESS
BEIJING TODAY
Vanished Murderer Disappears from Cinemas Under Industry Boycott
Photo by CFP
BY SHU PENGQIAN
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ith an attractive plot and star-studded cast that included Sean Lau, Jiang Yiyan and Li Xiaolu, The Vanished Murderer was expected to be the winter’s cinema blockbuster when it debuted on November 27. But anyone hoping to see the murderer at a domestic cinema might be surprised to learn it has almost vanished. The film faces a near complete boycott by a Chinese cinema industry furious about the release tactics of its producer, Le Vision Pictures, a subsidiary of one of China’s top steaming video companies LeTV.
Grabbing Cinema’s “Cake”
The rules of the Chinese cinema industry require that film producers and production companies must host several lavish media activities and private screenings of their upcoming releases. Those requirements have as much to do with advertising as they do with marketing. Theatre chains – the agencies which operate almost all of China’s cinemas – depend on such events to gauge whether a new film will meet their viewers’ tastes and to plan which outlets will get a film and how often they will play it. Le Vision Pictures did not follow these unwritten rules. Rather than grant exclusive access through media events, LeTV offered every service subscriber with a 3D LeTV a chance to catch The Vanished Murderer at home the day before its theatrical release. In addition, the company’s 2,700 LePar stores hosted free screenings for an estimated 120,000 viewers. Jia Yueting, CEO of LeTV, announced his plan to follow this new screening pattern in October. “LeTV will be the first
company in the world to attempt this kind of early screening pattern,” Jia said. He said The Vanished Murderer would be the first film to attempt the company’s new pattern, and that LeTV would follow its release with eight 3D films every year. LeTV’s move may have been an attempt to capitalize on media skepticism. There was certainly no shortage of articles that indirectly promoted The Vanished Murderer by discussing the merits and shortcomings of its new release model. But LeTV’s ambition was not merely to promote this film. It also wants to increase LeTV subscriptions and spread its brand. China’s domestic Internet giants have sunk their hands into the media business one after another. But LeTV has always been a weakling when compared to its neighbors: Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. “Whether we talk about LeTV’s video website or its 3D LeTV business, video resources are the key to LeTV’s survival and development. Without abundant video resources, it can hardly survive in a competitive market,” an analyst wrote on Huxiu.com. But even in this area the company has remained weak. At the start of 2015, LeTV had only Le Vision Pictures and Flower Film & TV offering its video resources. Faced with a disadvantage in video resources, the company had to innovate. If LeTV’s distribution model worked, it would put the company ahead of its competitors in its ability to offer a kind of video resource that its competitors could not. When young consumers learn that only LeTV has the ability to broadcast its films, many will be willing to pay to watch.
Distributing the show over its own network also allows LeTV to capitalize on advertising revenue. The profits from ads could be vast, considering the company has an existing install base of 4 million LeTV sets. Or at least that was how it was supposed to work.
Stonewalled by Cinemas
On November 26, every theatre chain in China issued a statement stating their plans to cancel or postpone the release of the The Vanished Murderer. “LeTV did not given any formal notice to theatre operators that it planned to screen this film on TV as well as at the cinema,” a theater manager wrote on Huxiu.com. Theatre chains were not only angry about LeTV’s private action, but also afraid that their profits could be damaged. “LeTV has seriously damaged the regulation of the film industry and injured the profits of theatre chains and cinema,” Time Antaeus Group said in a public statement. With the exception of 5 percent that goes to special funds and 3.3 percent that goes to business tax, China’s large box office takes are split between three parties: the cinemas, the producers and the promoters. Of the three, the cinemas claim the lion’s share. LeTV’s plan could cost cinemas 5 million yuan on November 27, assuming a price of 45 yuan per ticket. LeTV’s 2,700 LePar stores function as miniature cinemas that threaten national chains’ profits with their free screenings. If LeTV’s survives the boycott, other producers could be inspired to follow its example. And looking ahead, young people who become accustomed to watching new releases at home could
spell the death of the cinema industry. In spite of record profits, box offices are still bleeding money as Internet piracy eats into their ticket sales. When combined with the threat of advanced screenings, their battle with LeTV becomes a fight for survival. To ensure The Vanished Murderer will be screened as scheduled, LeTV immediately cancelled its original plan and compensated members with two film tickets and a one-month Full Screen membership. LeTV’s public apology did little to relieve the theater chains’ anger. While the film hit screens on time, the scope of its release was greatly reduced. Gewara.com, an online ticketing website, found only seven screenings of The Vanished Murderer at three theaters in Dongcheng District on December 2. Chaoyang District has 28 cinemas planning to screen the film the same day: three cinemas will screen it once; six cinemas will screen it twice; and six cinemas will screen it three times. LeTV had planned to distribute Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe through the same pattern in September but backed out due to fears of similar backlash. But while cinemas have managed to stop its plans twice, it’s hard to see an old media platform surviving in the long term. China has 650 million Internet users, and most of its youth are already used to watching pirated movies online. A shift in commercial film consumption is almost guaranteed. “Theatre chains are worried that this new media channel will eat their ‘cake,’ but the trend is inevitable,” a film critic told Xinmin Evening News. “In the future, there will be new channels for film distribution. I support LeTV’s effort.” ~
Photo by news.5ipr.cn EDITOR: SHU PENGQIAN ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
EDUCATION
BEIJING TODAY
DECEMBER 4, 2015
5
ness on the mainland,” Lee said. Lee’s friend Lee Kwok Fai falls into the last category. He started a cultural company that develops platforms to increase cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong. Lee worked at the company as an intern. Last year she brought a group of Chinese students to Hong Kong. Along with conventional sightseeing, she brought students to Sheung Shui, where local residents made headlines for protesting against mainland traders. “It’s a good way to increase mutual understanding and help people know what really happened behind the news stories,” Lee said. Lee also believes her knowledge about Beijing and her connection to people here will make her a more competitive candidate in the future. Takungpao reported that degrees from mainland universities are becoming more credible among Hong Kong employers. Some Hong Kong companies value a student’s knowledge and connection in the mainland, especially in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Mainland to Hong Kong
Photo by nfjsb.com
Bridging the Gap: From Hong Kong to Mainland Universities
“B
efore I came to Beijing, my impression of the Chinese mainland was a picture of Shenzhen 10 years ago: dirty and dangerous,” said Lee Yuan Ting, a Hong Kong student of philosophy at Peking University. Lee arrived in Beijing for the first time last year. And after a year of studying at one of China’s best universities, her impression of Beijing and the mainland has changed. “It was definitely less frightening and different from what I expected. Hong Kong media’s reporting on the mainland is somewhat biased. They won’t report if a mainland tourist helps a grandma cross the street, but they will report if the helper turns out to be a scammer,” Lee said. Some 20 students were admitted to Peking University with Lee, but only several decided to attend. “For most Hong Kong students, schools on the mainland are still a back-up choice,” Lee said. The number of Hong Kong students enrolled has increased slightly this year, Lee said, adding that she saw dozens of Hong Kong students come to Beijing in 2015. Mainland universities started to recruit Hong Kong students in 2012. That year, 971 students were admitted to mainland universities, Takungpao reported. This year, that number increased to 1,444. Staff at the Hong Kong and Macao offices of China’s Education Ministry told the paper that mainland schools plan to recruit more students from Hong Kong.
BY WANG YAN
Photo by tunju.com Currently, mainland universities select students from 78 Hong Kong high schools, and the ministry is planning to increase that number to 84.
University Life
“We go to school, participate in school activities and stay in the same dorms with mainland students,” Lee said. At Peking University, students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan attended the same courses as their mainland counterparts, but there are some minor differences. For instance, students from outside the mainland can choose courses to substitute their required credits in Marxism or other ideology courses. They can also choose to skip the compulsory military training exercises. Communication within the university is quite open. Lee said most dialogue is based on curiosity and learning. “I have mainland students who come
to me and ask about the latest news stories concerning Hong Kong. I will tell them what do I think about it and what people in Hong Kong think about it,” Lee said. “At Peking University, we can talk about lots of things, but it is advised not to act upon them,” Lee said. But most of Lee’s friends are from Hong Kong or Macao. “We like to go out more. Most of the mainland students prefer staying on campus, and they spend more time studying,” Lee said. Lee believes one of the major differences between Hong Kong universities and Peking University are how the two focus on different aspects of skills. Hong Kong universities stress school activities and participation to hone students’ practical skills like problem solving, communication and other business-prone skills. “Some of my Hong Kong friends only have to earn 80 credits for their BA, but mine is more than 130 credits,” Lee said. But for Lee the academic approach suits her better.
After Graduation
There are three common options for Hong Kong students who graduate on the mainland, Lee said. “Some students are determined to go back to Hong Kong or at least to stay in the nearby city Shenzhen. Some seek opportunities within their universities to go abroad. And some consider doing busi-
EDITOR: YANG XIN ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
Hong Kong also gets a large share of its students from the mainland. According to South China Morning Post, around 99 percent of students enrolled in Chinese University’s Master of Science in finance in 2013 were from the mainland. Of the students studying applied economics, 80 percent were from the mainland. Local enrollment is also on the decline in the communications department at Baptist University. In 2013, there were 1,500 applications, mostly from the mainland, for about 150 places. According to Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee (UGC), mainland students make up the vast majority of postgraduate students, numbering 4,586 in 2012-2013, up from 4,298 in 2011-2012, out of a total of fewer than 7,000. However, applications to Hong Kong universities by Chinese mainland students have fallen this year, Wall Street Journal reported. Baptist University of Hong Kong – one of eight publicly-funded universities in the city –said it received 2,319 applications for the 2015-2016 school year, down 40 percent from last year. Hong Kong Polytechnic University– which has the largest student body among the public universities–said it had about 2,300 applicants from the mainland this year, compared to some 3,500 last year. And Lingnan University–known for its liberal-arts focus–said it received 556 applications from mainland students this year compared to 928 a year ago. Although some Chinese media attributed the falling numbers to tensions between mainland and Hong Kong, students who have studied in Hong Kong universities had a positive view of higher education there. Ma Yifan, who studied English Translation in City University of Hong Kong, said she thought her professor and books were very helpful. “The communication in my course is good and we are quite open to each other’s views. I had one classmate who was aggressive about his views, but that was only on the political level. I don’t think he is biased against mainland students,” said Ma Mengxuan, who was a law student in the University of Hong Kong. ~
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COMMUNITY
DECEMBER 4, 2015
BEIJING TODAY a joint-venture between GE Aviation and China Aviation Industry Corp; managed a wine distribution company; and starting this fall, he’s the country director of an international building materials company.
Business and Faith
Photo courtesy of Watkins family
American Businessman Builds China Career with Purpose, Faith
J
BY SIMINA MISTREANU
ohn Watkins, Jr. likes to approach his work with a sense of purpose. The Ohio native has spent almost three decades in China, running businesses in various industries including air travel, industrial equipment, commercial aerospace, wine distribution and construction materials. He met his wife, and they raised a family here. He’s been involved in the American Chamber of Commerce, in various charities and institutions of faith. All this time he says he’s been led by a sense of mission that first arose on the night of December 15, 1978. That day, US President Jimmy Carter and Chinese President Deng Xiaoping announced that the two countries would normalize relations after three decades of frozen commercial and diplomatic exchange. Watkins was listening to the news from his dormitory at Miami University of Ohio.
He had just finished his first semester of college and was preparing to go home for the winter holiday. But as he was listening to the news, something strange happened. “It’s like I heard this voice that said, ‘John, you must go to China and participate and contribute to Deng Xiaoping’s four modernizations,’” he says. “It was so clear and so unmistakable. It wasn’t a voice that I could hear in my ear, but a very clear signal in my brain.” So in the summer of 1983, one year after he graduated with a degree in business, Watkins boarded a plane to China. For the first 2 1/2 years, he studied Chinese at schools in Beijing and Shanghai. Then one day he went to the US Consulate in Shanghai and asked if there were any American companies looking to hire someone who spoke Chinese. He got a job as a ticket agent at Northwest Airlines’ Shanghai office. He went on to work for Northwest Airlines in Beijing
Photo by Simina Mistreanu and Hong Kong, climbing up the corporate ladder to the position of managing director for China’s mainland.
Family
One day in 1986, Watkins was working out at the Great Wall Sheraton Clark Hatch Fitness Center, when in walked what he describes as the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Dinah Chong had been born and raised in Toronto by Chinese immigrants. Her mother was a businesswoman who had developed the Beijing Jinglun Hotel and the Sci-Tech Center office tower. Dinah worked as a leasing officer for the tower, so Watkins introduced himself and pretended to be interested in office space. They set up a first business appointment, but it didn’t go very well: Dinah kept him waiting for 20 minutes, after which she told him she didn’t have suitable office space for him. But one morning a few weeks later they met again, on the street, as Dinah was looking for a taxi. Watkins offered her a ride. They started dating and eventually married in 1988. Years later, they had a boy and adopted a baby girl. In the mid-1990s, Northwest Airlines sent Watkins to get a graduate degree at Stanford University. He worked at the company’s headquarters in Minnesota for about three years, after which he and the family returned to China so that Watkins could implement a partnership between Northwest Airlines and Air China. When the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 happened in New York City, Watkins was again watching the news. He decided he wanted to leave the airline industry but stay in China. In the years since, he has worked at the diesel engine company Cummins; led
EDITOR: SIMINA MISTREANU ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
Watkins says that through the years he was guided by his initial sense of purpose, to contribute to the industries in which he worked. To that end, he’s also served as a board member and chairman for the American Chamber of Commerce. “I really think that in developing the US-China relationship, business is the most important vehicle and platform because there are more contacts between American and Chinese businesspeople in all kinds of different ways than there are in government, in the arts, in education and other sectors,” he says. The general dynamics between American and Chinese businesspeople have changed several times since the 1980s. At first, foreigners tended to have more money, technology, experience and ambition than their Chinese counterparts so they “looked down” on them, Watkins says. But starting from the early 2000s, the relationships balanced out as China was experiencing astonishing growth. After 2008, when Western economies were hit by the Great Recession, China’s model looked stronger, and Chinese businesspeople started looking down on the foreigners. Now, Watkins says, the relationships are balancing out again as both the Chinese and the expat businesspeople have become savvier. Similarly, he’s seen people’s attitudes toward faith change over the past three decades. Watkins is Christian and has been involved in several churches and religious organizations in China. The end of the Cultural Revolution left many Chinese people without direction or devotion. In the early 1980s, Watkins noticed people in the countryside starting to rediscover faith, whether in Buddhism, Christianity or other religions. In the 1990s and early 2000s, religion spread into the cities with the reopening of churches and temples. Watkins says he’s witnessed Chinese businesspeople reconsidering old business values and practices through the prism of faith, as well as the purpose of their business, how they use their money and how they raise their children. ~
Advice for Young People Looking to Do Business in China Thousands of expats move to China each year. For the young ones who are just starting out in business, Watkins has three pieces of advice. 1. Ground yourself in the language and the culture. “The two best things I’ve done in my life and that have been key to my success have been marrying Dinah, my wife, and speaking Chinese – being able to have business meetings, meetings with government and meetings with customers and to do that in Chinese.” 2. Build a network of relationships, but do it for more than just the immediate benefits. 3. Be good at something. “Whatever your skill is that you’re working at, you have to have something that creates value.”
EMBASSY
BEIJING TODAY
DECEMBER 4, 2015
7
Photos by the British Council
Britain to Launch Yearlong Celebration of Shakespeare BY SIMINA MISTREANU
T
he British Council and GREAT Britain campaign will organize Shakespeare Lives, a global program that will take place throughout 2016 to celebrate William Shakespeare’s legacy and mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. The program will include live performances, films, exhibitions, public readings and debates that will take place in 140 countries from January to December. The program also aims to help children in some of the world’s poorest communities through a partnership with UK-based charity Voluntary Services Overseas. While half of the world’s children study Shakespeare today, there are still 250 million school-aged children who cannot read or write, according to the organization. “When studying Shakespeare, children learn valuable lessons in love, life and creativity,” said Philip Goodwin, VSO chief executive. “However when millions of children cannot read, they become cut off from learning those lessons that literature can offer. (Education) is a direct route out of poverty, but in many countries teachers are poorly trained and pupils are excluded from classrooms because of their gender or abil-
ity. Our volunteers work hard to improve the education outcomes of children across the world, and this partnership will shine a light on the great work they do.” In China, Shakespeare Lives will kick off a large-scale digital campaign on January 12 to support VSO’s fundraising for education projects. The British Council and BBC Arts will organize an online “Shakespeare Day Live” on April 23, 2016 and a six-month “Shakespeare Lives” online festival. The Royal Shakespeare Company says it will distribute school packs to 32,000 schools in the UK and 100,000 schools worldwide. The school packs will include access to video performances and will explore themes of global citizenship through Shakespeare’s plays and characters, including leadership, power, equality and justice. Shakespeare Lives organizers include the GREAT Britain Campaign, the British Council, Education UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade and Investment and VisitBritain. Partners include BBC, the British Film Institute, the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Shakespeare 400 consortium, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Shakespeare’s Globe. ~
China, Cuba Diplomatic Ties Celebrated in 55th Anniversary BY YANG XIN
I
t was 55 years ago that Cuba’s first Ambassador to China, Oscar Pino Santos, arrived in China and presented his credentials to then Vice-President Soong Ching-ling. More than 200 people attended the Cuban Embassy’s commemoration reception on November 26. But the establishment of bilateral ties between China and Cuba extends even earlier. On September 28, 1960, Cuba emerged as the first country in the Western hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with China. Alberto Jesus Blanco Silva, the Cuban ambassador to China, attended the reception and reviewed the establishment as
well as recent progresses in Sino-Cuban diplomatic ties in various fields. The “Spanish Teaching” program and other specialties provided to more than 3,000 Chinese students in Cuba during the last decade were not only intended to strengthen the bilateral relations between China and Cuba, but took into account the relations between China and Latin American (countries), whose progress we support and welcome with satisfaction, the ambassador said. He also cited the opening of the first direct flight from Beijing to Havana this year and the ever-growing bilateral trade in sugar and nickel as signs of reducing the
Photo by Cuba Embassy in Beijing distance between China and Latin America and the Caribbean. Young Chinese singer Pu Jie sang the famous South American song “Siboney” for the audience at the reception. In September, the leaders of both sides
EDITOR: WANG YAN ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
exchanged congratulations on the anniversary. In a message co-signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to Cuban leader Raul Castro, Xi and Li said the Chinese government cherishes its friendship with Cuba and will spare no effort to deepen mutual trust and cooperation. In his message, Castro, president of the Council of State of Cuba and president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, said Cuba will make unremitting efforts to strengthen unity and friendship between the two countries and to advance the comprehensive development of bilateral ties. ~
8
NEWS RELEASE
DECEMBER 4, 2015
BEIJING TODAY
‘Struggle in China’ Documentary T
he Communist Youth League of Beijing has been surveying the capital’s young adults since 2013. The league collected more than 108,000 questionnaires and conducted more than 6,000 interviews during the last two years. The result of that work is Struggle in China, its new documentary. This sevenepisode series narrates the stories of seven groups of people in Beijing. Each installment reveals the living condition of young adults in Beijing, their lifestyles, their challenges and their happiness.
First Episode:
Young Artists in the ‘Beipiao’ Beipiao is a Chinese noun referring to those people who work and live in Beijing without registered residence in the capital. The first episode follows five young artists in the beipiao group: Ji Bin and Yao Yao from Liaoning province, Chen Tiantian from Shandong province, Liu Zheng from Hebei province and Lin Zhi from Hunan province. Beijing’s thick cultural environment attracts many young artists to come and pursue their dreams. The survey found that Beijing has 95,000 young artists in the beipiao, most of whom work in music, dance, painting, drama, folk art or acting and live in the districts of Chaoyang, Tongzhou or Haidian. Young artists in this group suffer life and work pressure: their jobs are unstable, and their monthly income averages 4,551 yuan, below the local average. Two thirds of the people live in the
suburbs to save money on housing. Four in five interviewees were unmarried, and more than half of those were single.
Second Episode:
Young Teachers Diao Rongchun (Chinese teacher), Gao Jiao (PE teacher), Xu Yang (English teacher), Cheng Xiao (professor at Beijing Normal University) and Wang Bo (professor at Beijing Institute of Technology) are the subjects of this episode. The young teacher group boasts high academic qualifications. Three in four held a master’s or Ph.D degree, and 70 percent graduated from one of the nation’s top schools. Although 57 percent of the interviewees said they have great work pressure, most of were satisfied with their profession. The group has stable jobs, high pay and high social status. But with those come other pressures. Among university teachers who were younger than 35 years old, only 34 percent managed to purchase a home.
Third Episode:
Young Media Professionals This episode follows five media professionals: Wu Wenjuan of the Legal Evening News, Li Jia of the Beijing Youth Daily, Zhang Jing of a web media company, Tu Yan of Beijing TV and Bai Yu of China National Radio. When asked why they chose to work in journalism, half of the interviewees said they wanted to realize their dreams
and promote the social progress. Sixty percent of the media professionals had a bachelor’s degree, and 36 percent had a master’s degree. In addition to the usual life pressures, media professionals also suffered other threats due to their work. Some 20 percent of media professionals said they have been threatened or intimidated on the job, and 10 percent were involved in legal disputes. Most media professionals work more than nine hours every day and overtime is common.
Fourth Episode:
Young Civil Servants The survey interviewed 4,712 young civil servants in 165 departments and institutions around Beijing. Civil servants were generally highly educated. Among the young civil servants in Beijing, nearly 90 percent possessed a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Young civil servants spend an average of 8.7 hours at work, and civil servants in the judicial department work longer than others. Chinese civil servants’ earnings are low. About 60 percent of the interviewees in this group believed they were among the lowest earners.
Fifth Episode:
Young Entrepreneurs Five young entrepreneurs narrate their experience of establishing a business in Beijing. Most people in this group come to the capital to develop themselves rather
EDITOR: SHU PENGQIAN ~ DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
than to earn money. While many people imagine that young entrepreneurs are involved in high-tech fields, 60 percent were involved in the retail, commercial or service industries. Family offered the startup capital for 58 percent of the young entrepreneurs. Another 28 percent got their money from friends.
Sixth Episode:
Young Adults in Agriculture Beijing has 91,100 youths working in agriculture. Their yearly earnings average 34,000 yuan and their main expenses are meals, gas, electricity and water.
Seventh Episode:
Young Foreigners Among foreign workers in Beijing, almost 4 percent are senior managers, 20 percent are middle managers and 36 percent are office workers. About 60 percent of the young foreigners said they were interested in the city’s food, culture and folk arts. Most said they spent their free time in Houhai, Sanlitun, Nanluogu Xiang or 798 Art Zone. ~